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Hi everyone!!!
I am turning to statravel blog, because facebook is illegal and I tried getting around it by using a proxy - which gave my laptop a big virus! I was then stood infront of 50 student teachers, about to teach a lesson to discover that my laptop wouldn't turn on because of the viruses! So.. I have wiped my computer -and will have to rely on my friend Cody for checking facebook, but will not be able to rely on using it very much :s So all of my pictures and news will be on here instead.
Apart from the internet (which is truly the most annoying thing about China) everything else is great!!! I am staying in Changzhou Province, just outside of Shanghai and I am in love with the people! They are just so wonderful and welcoming! We are being paid alot to teach these teachers, but they still insist on paying for all our meals, transport, accomodation, day trips to theme parks and theatre shows.. and anything our hearts desire! There is a woman in the accomodation 2 doors down from me, whose job it is to sort out any problems we might have.. or questions we might have! There are only 6 of us!! I wonder what she does all day? bless her!!! Our helpers are all so sweet, and insist on feeding us soo much fruit.. i am always full! There is also another woman who refuses to let me carry my bag!
Ok.. I have been here 5 days and have started to learn some basic Chinese. Ni Hao (Hello), Xiajian (Goodbye), Mamahuhu (which means (I am not to bad) and Wo Shi Emma are just some of the basics I have learnt. Every Chinese person has a western name (most are hilarious and do not suit them at all - Candy, Joan, Donna lol.) So I have been given a Chinese name. It is Hehua pronounced Her Hwa and means Lotus. My students laugh at me everytime I try and say it! lol.
The teaching is great, there are 50 women (all about my age) and they all seem very intrigued by me. I am treated like a celebrity and they all want to be teachers pet.. and they keep inviting me out with them! I am teaching them to be more confident with their English and teaching skills. Most of them do not have formal qualifications and are very shy to use English. They are not shy to talk to me, but as soon as I get them to talk in front of the class - they appear petrified! I try and lively them up by teaching them songs and dances - which they seem to enjoy!
Food: Most people had warned me about the food to be honest, and I'm not surprised. It is extremely different from our western food. Alot of bits of meat that we wouldn't eat.. always including bones... and most soups include bobbing chicken heads and feet.. definitely not much for vegetarians!!! But I have enjoyed everything I have tasted, including the posionous blow fish - which was extremely rubbery!!
Other Teachers: At the moment there are 6 of us foreign teachers, 2 ladies and 4 men. The others are all lovely, and we have bonded really well already! We are going out tonight to a "Dinosaur Theme Park". My students said it was "beautiful and really funny". I asked them if it was like Jurassic Park with real dinosaurs.. they said no! (shame). ha
Nothing much else to report at the moment. I cant wait to go to Beijing and see my apartment! I saw pictures of one of the other teachers, and it looked much better than I had invisiged!!
Hope you are all good!!! I miss you all already!!! I have been teaching the students today about Cornwall, and they all said how beautiful it looked and that one day they hoped to visit ! So the Cornish tourism board can send me a cheque! hehe!!!
I have added pictures of my adventures in Changzhou which include our evening at the theatre show!
Love Love
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